Mary Magdalene: Resurrection

This is the last installment of my lessons on Mary Magdalene. I am working on a fourth; but it will be reading some new information about Mary Magdalene. 

So far we have learned in our lessons that Mary Magdalene was released from demonic possession. We have also learned that she came from a village on the Sea of Galilee called Magdala. This village was known for it's salted fish, its dye works and the fact that marketers sold turtledoves for those going to the temple to sacrifice. 

In Lesson 2 we learned how Mary participated in Jesus' ministry and especially at the crucifixion. In this lesson, we are going to learn how Mary Magdalene was "touched" by Christ and commissioned with the gospel. The scripture for this less will primarily John 20:1-18. 

To start this lesson, let's look at a typical day for Christ. Luke tells us that Jesus traveled from village to village, ministering and healing people. According to Pastor Batsell Barrett Baxter, the typical day for Jesus was spent in "private devotion, worship, helping others, and challenging others." It is without a doubt that Mary Magdalene probably went out and spoke to women in the crowds and challenged them to follow Jesus. Not only did she help in the ministry of Christ, she also sat at the Master's feet and learned. 

After the crucifixion, we can't begin to imagine the sadness she must have felt. Realizing that she wouldn't be able to prepare the body of Christ for proper burial, she went home with the other women, and prepared for the Sabbath and as commanded, she rested on the Sabbath. I like to think that Mary woke up early and along with the other women prepared herself with prayer and then went to the tomb.

In John's gospel, Mary is the only woman who visited Jesus' tomb. In his gospel, Mary arrives at the tomb early in the morning, she sees the rock rolled away and runs to get Simon (Peter) and the beloved disciple (John). The men arrive at the tomb and they see that Christ was not there.


Verse ten is the beginning of Mary's faith being fulfilled. John 20:10-18 "10 Then the disciples went back to their homes. 11 But Mary stood weeping outside the tomb, and as she wept she stooped to look into the tomb. 12 And she saw two angels in white, sitting where the body of Jesus had lain, one at the head and one at the feet. 13 They said to her, “Woman, why are you weeping?” She said to them, “They have taken away my Lord, and I do not know where they have laid him.” 14 Having said this, she turned around and saw Jesus standing, but she did not know that it was Jesus. 15 Jesus said to her,“Woman, why are you weeping? Whom are you seeking?” Supposing him to be the gardener, she said to him, “Sir, if you have carried him away, tell me where you have laid him, and I will take him away.” 16 Jesus said to her, “Mary.” She turned and said to him in Aramaic,[a] “Rabboni!” (which means Teacher). 17 Jesus said to her, “Do not cling to me, for I have not yet ascended to the Father; but go to my brothers and say to them, ‘I am ascending to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God.’” 18 Mary Magdalene went and announced to the disciples, “I have seen the Lord”—and that he had said these things to her."
Here we see that Mary is outside the tomb crying. She doesn't realize that Jesus has risen bodily. Rather she thinks that the gardener has moved His body. We also notices from this passage that she doesn't react with fear to the angels; rather she gives them an explanation of why she is upset. 
Then when Jesus appears to her, she, at first, doesn't realize that Jesus has risen in the body that the gardener has come to see if she is okay. But we also notice she didn't turn to see who was talking to her. so naturally she didn't recognize Him. It wasn't until he called her by name that she turned around to see Jesus. 
"Rabboni!" she cried! She called Jesus by the title she had called him many times before. It was personal. She wasn't calling Jesus, "teacher"  by rather she was calling Him "My Teacher!"  This one word shows the core of their relationship. Automatically she called Jesus by a title she probably used on a daily basis. Not only did she use a personal title, she reached out to touched Him. The New Revises Standard Bible uses the term "cling", the New International Version uses "touch". No matter how she touched Him, whether it was clinging to his waist, knees, whatever, and it was unplanned, immediate and physical. 
Liz Curtis Higgs descirbes it like this "Mary, who had known love and mercy, healing and empowerment through his voice and touch did what came naturally to her; she called out to Him and she reached for Him. Yet, to hear the imperative, "do not cling to me." must have really hurt Mary. She had always ministered to Jesus, possibly anointed his head, washed His feet, probably hugged Him, maybe a high-five here and there. Now she was being told "Don't hold on to me." However, just like we have to let go of things that hold us back, Mary had to let go of Jesus, so that he could return to His Father. 
Another reason that Jesus told Mary to let go was because He was about to commission her with the good news (gospel). Jesus gave Mary the first command of "Go and tell..." He knew she had places to go and people to see. He sent her, as the first witness to his resurrection to tell the disciples. I am sure that Mary questioned some fo the things she was asked to do, however when went and told the disciples the news. 
During this part of Mary's life, we can see that Mary was experiencing again gratefulness and no longer did she have to look back over the past. Her job quickly became to look forward to look at the future. 
The Life Application Bible profile of Mary Magdalene states "Mary's faith was not complicated, but it was direct and genuine. She was more eager to believe and obey than to understand everything. Jesus honored her childlike faith by appearing to her first and by entrusting her with the first message of His resurrection." Just like Mary Magdalene, God is asking that we have a real relationship with Jesus Christ. We are to have a heart of gratefulness, dedication and humbleness! 

Mary Magdalene: At the Cross

Part Two of my Series on Mary Magdalene. In this lesson we'll talk about Mary Magdalene at the Crucifixion of Jesus Christ.

After Luke 8, we don't hear much about Mary Magdalene and the other women until they appear at the crucifixion of Jesus Christ. So what were they doing all this time? Since they were present at  the crucifixion it may be possible to say that they were traveling with Jesus and the twelve.

All four gospels put Mary Magdalene at the site of the crucifixion. The twelve went into hiding and Peter and John are the only disciples that are listed as being at the crucifixion. The reason is that the twelve went into hiding is that they didn't want to be arrested and treated as criminals like Christ himself was. Matthew, Mark and Luke have listed the women as watching from a distance and John puts them at the foot of the cross where Jesus can see them and speak to them as he did Peter and Mary, his mother. So why were the women there? Crucifixion was a violent death and women would have been protected from seeing such a death--much like hanging in the modern period. However, tradition has Jesus being crucified prior to the Sabbath and women would have had to be home preparing for the Sabbath.

Scripture states that Mary and the other women went to purchase spices and ointments to place on the body of Christ prior to burial.  Since crucifixion was reserved for criminals, it was rare that bodies were given over to family or others for proper burial. The reason is to continue the humiliation that went along with the punishment. The fact that Jesus' body was allowed to be taken by Joseph of Arimathea, a "Disciple of Christ, despite having to secretly believe", shows that even Pilate had respect for the Jewish Law and possibly even Jesus.

So where were all the women during this time? What was their role? The women had went to purchase ointments and spices to anoint Jesus' body. After Joseph of Arimathea had approached Pilate and was granted to bury the body, the women and Joseph under the obligation of resting on the Sabbath, only saw where Jesus' body was laid. Then they went home to prepare for the Sabbath but also the spices and perfumes they'd use to properly bury Jesus. 

Through all of this, what can we learn from Mary Magdalene at the cross? Let's look at each of the crucifixion narratives. Starting with Matthew 27:55-56 "There were also many women there, looking on from a distance, who had followed Jesus from Galilee, ministering to him, among whom were Mary Magdalene and Mary the mother of James and Joseph and the mother of the sons of Zebedee." 
As you can see from this simple verse, the women were not there to cause trouble, but rather because they had ministered Jesus through their service. Why did they minister? Because of their great love and gratefulness for whatever Jesus did in their lives. Each one had a story to tell, and each one followed Jesus and supported His ministry.

Mark 15:40-41 "There were also women looking on from a distance, among whom were Mary Magdalene, and Mary the mother of James the younger and of Joses, and Salome. When he was in Galilee, they followed him and ministered to him, and there were also many other women who came up with him to Jerusalem." In Mark we have the of Salome. But we also learn that these women took care of the needs of Jesus. Whether that was cooking or cleaning the Messiah's clothing or food; these women did it all! They even supported Him out of their private means; meaning they probably financially helped Jesus and his disciples!

Luke states "But all those who knew him, including the women who had followed him stood at a distance watching things." what differs here from the other gospels is the "All those who knew Him" were present as were the women. This could mean that the disciples were present. However, during this time period, it was dangerous for family to mourn publicly the death of a man who was crucified. 

Lastly, we have John's narrative. In John 19:25-27, we find that not only is Mary the mother of Jesus, His mother's sister and Mary Magdalene were present, we find that the "beloved disciple" was present at the crucifixion. This could be further proof that the men didn't run and hide, rather they stood alongside of Christ as He faced death. 

Since these women followed Christ out of sheer love and gratefulness for all that He had done for them, we can only imagine the emotions that they were feeling. They probably felt feelings of despair, great sadness and loss. Each one experienced it on a personal level too. Each woman had experienced Jesus' love and grace and each one was losing a part of their "normal" daily lives. 

This however, is only the beginning. In the final lesson I am going to elaborate on Mary's visit to the Tomb of Christ as well as His appearance to her. In this next lesson, we may learn things that we've never considered as we read the story of Jesus and Mary Magdalene. 

Mary Magdalene: Woman of International Mystery

This is my graduate paper from Liberty University Baptist Theological Seminary. Each is a lesson on the life of Mary Magdalene. Over the next couple of days, I am going to rewrite my lessons here for you all. Lesson 1 is called "Mary Magdalene: International Woman of Mystery."

According to the gospels, Mary Magdalene was one of Jesus' followers; she was also woman Jesus had exorcised (cast demons out of). Other elements of Mary's life are that she was at the crucifixion and the first person that Jesus appeared to. The things that we don't know about Mary are "Was she married?"; Where exactly she lived?" and "How did she support Jesus' ministry?"; over the centuries these are the things that have been left to speculation and historical documents that are neither canon nor truth. Truly Mary Magdalene is an International Woman of Mystery.

Within history, there have been various stories told about women in the Bible, and unfortunately, we aren't given names. However, Pope Gregory the Great decided to elaborate and tell the stories as if they were one woman. Thus we have a very different picture of Mary Magdalene really was.

The true story of Mary Magdalene starts in the middle of her life. The earliest years of Mary's life are truly a mystery. When Luke introduces Mary to us, we learn that she is following the ministry of Jesus after He has cast seven (7) demons out of her life. We are invited to look at Mary Magdalene as she was walking out her faith with Messiah.

Luke 8:2 "and also some women who had been cured of evil spirits and diseases: Mary called Magdalene from whom seven demons had come out;" Not only are we introduced to Mary Magdalene, but we are introduced, though not by name, other women who had been healed or had demons cast out of their lives. Each one had a unique story, each one had a unique reason to be following Jesus, and none of them were called to follow Jesus, the way the twelve male disciples were. So why did they follow Jesus?

During the second temple period women weren't disallowed to learn the Torah or ways of the Jews, they were, however, not allowed to follow strange men around and learn from them. If a woman wanted to learn about religious thought, the woman had to go to her husband; following someone other than one's husband was considered scandalous!

To really understand Mary Magdalene, we really need to understand where she came from and how she became a "bad girl." What can we learn from someone that we aren't introduced to until middle age?

From her name we can almost without a doubt say that Mary Magdalene wasn't married. Whether she ever got married or was a widow, we can't completely honestly say, however, we can say that she came from a place called Magdala. In Hebrew this place was called Migdal, which mean fortress and in Greek Tarichea which meant salted fish and the Talmud called Magdala "Migal Nunya", meaning Fish Tower. The fishing industry was a big part of the economy. The town was also known, according to rabbinic literature for "Fallen women." In The Wars of the Jews, by Josephus, the city is sad to be surrounded by a great wall and about 40,000 people live in the city.
Now that we know a bit about where Mary Magdalene comes from, let's look at "who" Mary Magdalene is. Since the only introduction we have to Mary is in Luke 8:2, we have to use that information to decipher the who of Mary, the Why and the When. Let's take a closer look at Luke 8:1-3 "Soon afterwards He began going around from one city and village to another, proclaiming and preaching the kingdom of God. The twelve were with Him and also some women who had been healed of evil spirits and sicknesses; Mary who was called Magdalene, from whom seven demons had gone out, Joanna, the wife of Chuza, Herod's steward, and Susanna, and many others who were contributing to their support out of their private means."

According to these scriptures not only is Mary following Jesus, but also contributing to Jesus' ministry out of her private means. This would tell us that it's quite possible that Mary Magdalene was wealthy. Not only was the possibly wealthy, but it's a good probability she was a widow. As previously pointed out, a woman could learn Torah, but not follow a Rabbi that was not one's husband would have been unheard of and worse yet, scandalous!

The "bad girl image" of Mary Magdalene actually comes from Pope Gregory the Great. "The reason for Gregory's identifying these three women as the same person may have been due to the proximity in sound of the name Magdalene. However, this was just a legend started by a misguided priest to offer hope to the masses. In 1969, the Second Vatican Council described Mary Magdalene as "One whom Christ appeared after the resurrection." Gone were the titles that she was a sinful woman and Mary of Bethany; we now realize that Mary Magdalene wasn't a bad girl as we in the west have come to accept, rather she was "drawn that way."

Scratching the Surface of the Bible

Have you ever noticed that some people will only scratch the surface of the Bible? Why is that? Many people decide that if they can quote scriptures and live a moral life they are being "Christians." However, being a Christian is so much more. It is really digging into the Bible and showing what life is about. They get stuck in their bubble and believe that is exactly where God wants them!

This, being stuck and refusing to study, isn't scriptural. Paul uses a word in the Greek form paideia, translated “nurture” in the KJV, carries with it the idea of training, education, instruction and discipline. Paul even told Timothy "Study and shew thyself approved." Study, learn, train. Unfortunately for many, studying means that they may learn something new about God and Jesus; they may be asked to come out of their comfort zone and confront their misguided beliefs. 

This happened to me when I was a student at Liberty Baptist Theological Seminary. I was asked to choose a person from the New Testament to study and present four (4) sermons on. All of the men, of course, choose Paul, Peter, John, Jesus, Andrew; I, on the other hand, chose Mary Magdalene. Needless to say that went over like a ton of bricks. "What can we possibly learn about Jesus from a woman with seven demons?" or "What can we learn about Jesus from a prostitute?" Even my professor was skeptical. "Rachel, you know there aren't many books written about her because so little is known about her." One of the greatest saints of Biblical history and people are scared of her? Seriously? 

My four sermons were titled "Mary Magdalene: If Jesus can change her, imagine what He can do for you!" My first sermon was a historical look at the person Mary Magdalene; what did we already know about her. Sermon Two: Is Mary Magdalene who we really think she is? Biblical Evidence that contradicts fictional depiction of Mary Magdalene. Sermon 3: Being like Mary: Biblical Evidence for changing your life. Sermon 4: A Life of Peace: Being a disciple in today's world. 

On the surface, Mary Magdalene was a woman whom very few people wanted to deal with. She's mentioned a total of 12 times, which is more than most of the other disciples. The rumors are that Mary Magdalene was an adulteress, that she was the woman who washed Jesus' feet with her tears and finally that she was Lazarus' sister. Had I taken this as truth, I would have missed out on the awesome saint that I have come to love! 

When we aren't afraid to dig into the Bible, it's amazing what we find. Here we found a woman whom Jesus loved very much. A life that was changed so that she could be a disciple and minister Christ's unwavering love. 

How much more it would be if Christians wouldn't stay stuck in their beliefs; or at least their understanding of what Scripture says. Do as Paul encouraged Timothy to do, continue to study and show yourself approved, knowledgeable and teachable. 

The Struggle is Real: Spiritual Attack this week!

Let me tell you! Satan must really have it out for me! Earlier this week, I had issues at the DMV that could have cost me my job; today, I was asked to leave a Bible Study group because "You are too strong in your faith and one of our members who just got saved is offended by you!" Excuse me? You are kicking out a seasoned Christian because someone just became a Christian and is offended by me? So I asked "What offends them?" or "Why are they offended?" The answer: "You went to seminary and they think you are a KNOW-IT-ALL!" Seriously? Okay, so yes, I went to seminary; and when I speak (because this isn't the first time this person has been used to attack me) I start all my sentences with "According to...", "It is my personal belief..." and I even back it up with Scripture, and 99.9% of the time end them with "what do you believe?" or "Maybe we can study this more together..." BUT I certainly don't know it all!

Some people just don't want to learn...they are stuck and can't see beyond what they believe to be "The Truth!" Proverbs 13:18 states "Poverty and disgrace come to him who ignores instruction, but whoever heeds reproof is honored."

However, I rejoice in this "Kicking out." It means that I am enduring one of the things Jesus did...persecution. 2 Timothy 2:11-13 states "The saying is trustworthy, for: If we have died with him, we will also live with him; if we endure, we will also reign with him; if we deny him, he also will deny us; if we are faithless, he remains faithful— for he cannot deny himself." And Matthew states 5:44 "But I say to you, Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you." Matthew 5:10 "“Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness' sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven." 2 Timothy 3:12 "Indeed, all who desire to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted" and my all time favorite for this kind of issue John 15:18 "If the world hates you, know that it has hated me before it hated you."

You see I could be 100% discouraged by being kicked out of this Bible Study; but I am not discouraged...saddened yes, but not discouraged...I am so happy that I know a living Savior!

When Church Hurts

         Over the past few weeks, I have done a tremendous amount of thinking. Most of it has been done in prayer and other times, it’s just a heart cry out to God about my life. However, the topic that has weighed most heavily on my mind has been “When church hurts.” I know, that many of my readers will say that “Oh, the church doesn’t hurt people, people hurt people.” True enough. Unfortunately, I have found many sources from Christians who have been hurt by the church and it’s turned their world upside down and God has intervened to turn it right side up.

         According to Focus on the Family, 22 million Americans say they are Christians and have made a faith commitment to Christ. These same people have also said they struggle with faith or relational issues and therefore quit going to church. Sadly, tens of thousands will join their ranks this year.[1]

            

         The church, who is supposed to be the modern body of Christ, has and will continue to lose members and potential members as long as we continue to allow our focus to be ourselves and not the person across the aisle from us. As the body of Christ we are called to love, to love as Christ loved. Alas, this is hard, especially when you’ve been betrayed by someone you trusted, like a Pastor, Priest, Bishop, Deacon, or anyone else working within the church.

            

          In an open letter to “The Cove Church” in Mooresville, NC the author speaks about finding a church that they loved. They had found a serving spot and were extremely happy. Then the entire situation changed—the two people who introduced the author to the church turned against them. The author went to church, apologized to the friend and nothing…the church had hurt the author. As a matter of fact, the church had asked the author to leave after she had followed all suggestions and rules, and brought up the churches bylaws.

I think, my greatest disappointment isn’t the unwillingness of the others involved to do peacekeeping (though that does bother me); it’s not that I was asked to step down from Cove Kids, go to a different campus, and no one in church leadership remotely asked the other couple to stop serving or go to another campus. The most hurtful thing for me, is that when I didn’t show up at church, when I finally fell through the cracks—no one (save my life group) has reached out to me. Not to say “hey” or “Just want you to know I am thinking about you.” Nothing. I was trying to do the right things, trying to avoid conflict at all costs and yet, I can honestly say that I feel like The Cove failed me. The very people I was asking for help, was in all truth, choosing sides—all because their response to the offer of peacekeeping was “There is no problem, it’s all in [author’s] mind.”[2]

Is this seriously the church that Christ founded? A church where people obeyed the bylaws, they obeyed the pastor’s suggestions and was yet told “Your service to the kingdom isn’t worthy of keeping you around.” What would Jesus really think of this situation? All we have to do is look at Jesus’ letter to the Church at Ephesus in the Book of Revelation. Jesus says:

“I know all the things you do. I have seen your hard work and your patient
endurance. I know you don’t tolerate evil people. You have examined the
claims of those who say they are apostles but are not. You have
discovered they are liars. You have patiently suffered for me without quitting.” Jesus is saying, “You are a good church doing many good things!” However, He continues: "But I have this complaint against you. You don’t love me or each other as you did at first! Look how far you have fallen! Turn back to me and do the works you did at first. If you don’t repent, I will come and remove your lampstand from
its place among the churches” (NLT).[3]

The author of the open letter to The Cove Church went on to say “Mike, I want you to know that I love The Cove and I forgive those who have asked me to resign as a teacher, those who have asked me to change campuses and even the two that injured my heart, my faith and my perception of The Cove.” [4]

When the church hurts us, and unfortunately it will eventually happen, there are three things that I believe God wants for us to remember and to do.

1) Stay in God's Manual for our grief. Unashamedly, unshakably and unreservedly draw your hope and healing from God's word, The Bible.

2) Pursue the Holiness you hope for others. You can demand of other what you yourself will not pursue. Go after the same holiness that you want to see in others. Fight the good fight and urge others to do the same. When you face hurts in the church, forgive, repent and repeat. Trust that God is doing a good work in you!

3) Trust that love will eventually prevail. This doesn't mean that everything will be okay tomorrow, next week, next month or even next year. To truly love someone is to see them at their worst and lvoe the best in them. Love doesn't mean you avoid tough situations, you are able to walk into those situations, you are able to find someone completely frustrating and still want what is best for that person and oddly enough you can love them without liking them.[5] 

Hurt by the church is going to come; it is going to knock you down, it's going to make you lose heart and want to give up--but with the three steps listed above, you can with God's help prevail! 

---

[1] http://www.focusonthefamily.com/faith/becoming-a-christian/how-do-i-find-the-right-church/overcoming-a-bad-church-experience

[2] http://truestories.thoughts.com/posts/open-letter-to-the-cove-church--2

[3] http://www.relevantmagazine.com/god/church/features/23507-is-the-church-lost#kY78bKhrloGwr4uf.99

[4] See footnote #2 for more information

[5] http://www.desiringgod.org/articles/help-in-overcoming-church-hurt

Revival 8/12/16

Here we have another message that I felt God impressing upon me as I was writing. I do not claim to speak for God, however, I always allow God to use me and my blog when I feel like He has a message for us today. 

Revival is coming! Revival is coming to the church. You are hungry, you are thirsty, but so much has happened that you don't realize that your thirst and hunger are making you weak. How long do you stand in the word; how often do you read what I have to say; how often do you seek my will? How long will it take you to come back to me?

I tell you the fields are ripe with grain, yet the harvesters are few. Why do you delay? What do you have to fear? I am with you always, I don't leave you, I am never absent from your presence. All you have to do is call upon me. Call me with groans in your spirit, call me with the words of your mouth. I am here!

Revival is coming! I promise that you will be ready, I will give you boldness to stand on my word, I will give your knowledge and understanding. Hang on a while longer,..teach your young men and women to sing, to dance and to praise me. Show them my presence, let them know that you can only experience me when you are completely submitted to me.

I am here always, I am here...and revival is coming!